1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio reproducing technology and, in particular, to an audio reproducing apparatus for reproducing one unit of audio data selected from a plurality of audio data and an audio reproducing method applied thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
As technological developments surrounding audio data, there are the advancement of coding techniques, the arrival of larger-capacity and smaller-size storage devices, and the diversification of data acquisition routes. With these as the technological background, the number of audio data, such as music contents, possessed by individuals are increasing at an accelerated pace. At the same time, there are diversifying environments for the reproduction of audio data. For example, people can readily enjoy the realistic sensation created by a “5.1-channel surround system” or listen to a variety of music wherever they are from a portable audio player that stores a large volume of data.
When a desired piece of music among audio data in the user's possession is to be reproduced, the selection is normally done using character information such as an album name or a song title. However, if such audio data come in a large number, it is increasingly difficult to find a desired song title or the like. For example, when a large volume of audio data are stored in a portable audio player, a display provided in small equipment may have a problem of a limited number of characters it can display at a time. As a result, it may call for complicated operations such as scrolling a screen, deciphering, and selecting characters until desired data are reached.
Moreover, portable audio reproducing apparatuses, such as portable audio players and car stereos, are often used by persons during walking, in a running vehicle or in such other circumstances that do not allow them to easily read the characters displayed on a display. This further adds to the troublesomeness the user feels about the operation of selecting a song or piece of his or her choice.